The Frame

This noirish detective film has a healthy reputation as a pulp classic (adapted from the king of pulp fiction, Mickey Spillane) that may overshadow its actual quality. It’s good for what it is, but it’s not great. In fact, I’m having difficulty remembering the exact plot, other than it has to do with a mysterious box which acts almost as a McGuffin in Hitchcock’s films–in other words, the excuse for all the action, but everybody wants it without quite knowing what’s in it. It plays into 1950s atomic paranoia, but the final payoff seems rather anticlimactic. Of course, it’s still enjoyable to watch, if you like noirish detective pulp fiction films. Just don’t try to make it more than it is.
Above Average